UMES partners with Chinese university

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - (Sept. 23, 2011) - UMES’ Office of International Development Programs has established a pioneering partnership with a university in China.

Former UMES President Thelma Thompson approved a formal Memorandum of Understanding in July with Harbin Institute of Technology “for academic exchange and collaboration between the two institutions.”

Other U.S. universities that have partnership agreements with the institution in northeast China include Michigan, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue and California (Berkeley), according to Harbin Institute’s website.

Tao Yang, dean of Harbin’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, represented his institution in signing the agreement.

Drs. Ejigou Demissie and Tao Gong of UMES’ Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences department were warmly received by Harbin Institute colleagues during a recent visit, where both sides shared information about their respective backgrounds, current operations and future developmental plans.

Demissie made two presentations on U.S. agricultural policy and food marketing. Gong presented a lecture on incorporating research methodologies in the writing process.

Founded in 1920, Harbin Institute is a multi-disciplinary university with science, engineering and research as its core. In 1996, it was in the first group of Chinese universities to be included in Project 211, a central government initiative that targeted 100 institutions of higher education to receive preferential support with the goal of becoming world-class universities.

Within three years, Harbin Institute was listed among China’s top nine key universities. Assistance from Heilongjiang provincial government’s education ministry also enabled Harbin Institute to earn recognition as a highly-competitive, first-rate university.

“We are excited about this collaboration with our new partner, and know that this MOU will prove to be invaluable in the growth and development of both institutions,” the UMES International Development Program office said.